Adobe Premiere: The Project Settings

Adobe Premiere software contains many project settings which
are preset options. There are many different preset categories. These
different settings contain settings for typical projects that are
commonly used. Users will have the option of selecting from a project
setting or they can customize the setting. In this way, the setting is
used as the base and then changes are made until the desired project is
produced. For those that want total control on the project, it is best
to customize the preset project settings.

Project Settings

The project settings are determined by the type of footage that was
shot. There are different settings for flash memory camcorder, hard
disk, AVCHD, HDV and DV. Whenever a new project is started, preset
settings from the project settings are applied. Normally the default is
for 4:3 DV. The different standards will depend on your geographic
location, as in the US, the TV standard is NTSC, which is different from
other areas of the world.

General Settings

The general settings will deal with the fundamentals of the project.
There will include file formats used for playback in the editing mode,
previewing files, play back video in the time base, and count time in
the display format.

Capture Settings

The capture preset settings deal specifically with how the audio and
video is transferred from the camera to the computer and software. If
you change the other project settings, they will not affect the capture
settings. It is not necessary to change this setting if you are
capturing DV footage. Some capture formats such as DV/IEEE 1294 will not
have any additional options as all options are set to the standard for
IEEE 1394. If your computer has additional software, then other options
may be available. If you are capturing using P2 DVCPRO HD or P2 DVCPRO
50, then there are no capture format settings.

Video Rendering Settings

The different video rendering settings will deal with the color
depth, compressor, file format and bit depth. All of these are used for
the playback and preview files.

Default Sequence

This setting will control the number of audio and video tracks
that can be used in the sequences that you are creating with the
software.

Unavailable Project Settings

If you find that there are some project settings which are
unavailable, it is possible to create your own projects which can be
saved as preset projects. Simply create a new project with all of the
settings you want, and then save it so it can be used in the future. Be
aware that if the video is imported at different rates, then it may be
unsynchronized with the new settings. Any changes that are made after
capturing the clips will all be created with your new settings which can
clash.

Changing Your Mind

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to change the project
settings once you have imported your footage. It is best to determine
the source of the footage and ensure there is a project setting match.
If there is not and a standard setting is not working, then it will be
necessary to create your own project settings specifically for that
footage source.